The Lost Album
by Josh Shrimp
Summary: A summer memory shared by two girls. "Did you girls know that music runs in the family?"


An energetic young child runs up a green hill and laughs as she rolls down from the top. Another young girl about the same age slowly follows after, panting and sweating.

"Huff Huff. Wait…Wait up. Huff Huff. Ugh. Can we go back inside yet?"

"Hahaha. Wee!"

"Don't ignore me, Callie."

The less peppy of the two wiped at her forehead and commented about the weather to herself. "It's so hot. Just go away Sun. That's enough for today."

She sat down on the grass halfway up the hill. She sighed at the disappointing lack of shade anywhere nearby. She stared up at the sky, eyes squinting, thinking about how great a cool class of tea would be right now. But she was suddenly alerted by the sound of her cousin's screams.

"Ahh! Marie, help me quick!"

The girl sprang up, despite her exhaustion, and ran towards the screaming. Arriving at the source, her expression quickly changed from worry to annoyance.

Callie was hanging from the door of some old shed, trying to force the door open with her whole body.

"I can't get this open by myself. Hurry up and help me!"

Marie scowled. She wanted to point out that neither of them had any reason to go into the shed, but knew that Callie's justification would simply be to see what was inside. She also wanted to share some of her concerns about poking through another person's things without permission, but she felt that a different detail was more concerning. Marie held her hands behind her back and stepped smoothly over to the door. She motioned her hand toward a latch on the door as Callie continued to strain herself. Marie flipped it with one finger and the door flew open as Callie went flying. She tumbled head-over-heels backwards, but was basically unharmed by the soft turf.

Her eyes spun in her head for a while, but as the dizziness wore off, she fixed her eyes on the open door and triumphantly proclaimed, "We did it!"

Marie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we're quite the team."

Callie dashed over, catching Marie by the hand and pulling her inside.

"What's inside?! Hurry!"

Marie coughed as dust got in her face. She couldn't see what there was to be excited about. It was probably just some boxes of old junk and maybe a lawn mower. But as the airborne dust cleared, they were both astonished by what they found.

The room was extremely colorful. The walls were plastered with posters, and piles of merchandise and goods were spread all over.

Callie's eyes gleamed.

"Wow!"

Marie picked up a CD in a crystal case.

"What is this? A shrine to some band?"

Callie played with fistfuls of keychains.

"Hehe, I don't know. Do you think it's grandpa's?"

Marie made a sour expression as she poked at a bobble head.

"I hope not."

A firm hand landed on Marie's shoulder, and a deep voice spoke to her.

"What would be so bad about that?"

Marie turned around and Callie popped out from a box of T-shirts.

"Grandpa!"

Marie bowed apologetically.

"Sorry for going in here without asking. It's just that Callie…We're sorry."

Their grandfather laughed and patted her head lightly.

"Ohoho. No need for sorrys. It's nice to see someone enjoying these old scraps."

Their grandfather plucked Callie out of the box and raised her up to reach some of the things on the higher shelves. Marie picked up a postcard of a man and woman photographed lovingly together and read it.

"Grandpa, what is all this junk? Who are Peter and Joyce?"

Their grandfather set Callie down next to Marie, and tucked at his tentacles as he contemplated what to say. Finally settling on something, he knelt down in front of them.

"Did you girls know that music runs in the family?"

Callie cocked her head.

"What's that mean, grandpa?"

He scratched beneath his hat.

"You see…Peter…He was your uncle."

"How come we never met him?"

Marie nudged at Callie.

"Callie, "was"."

It took a moment for Callie to comprehend the meaning of this. When she finally understood, she looked like she was going to break out crying.

Her grandfather took both of her hands into one of his and wiped one of her stray tears with another.

"No. It's alright. It was a long time ago. There's no need to be sad anymore. He wouldn't want you to cry for him. He was a very fun and happy child. Just like you."

Callie sniffled.

"Really?"

"Yes, that's absolutely right. Would you like to hear about him?"

"Mmhmm."

"Okay then. Where to start? When he was just about your age, he had already decided what he wanted to be one day. A movie star. But he eventually realized he had no acting talent, and decided to go with plan B. A musician. He was a bit sporadic that way. But in time, he learned that his love for music was greater than acting anyway, so in a way it worked out."

Marie glanced at Callie, thinking that the two were pretty similar.

Callie smiled eagerly.

"Did his dream come true?"

Marie thought to herself, "Obviously."

Their grandfather hummed to himself.

"Hmmm. In a way, they did, but it took many years of hard work. He taught himself to sing and dance and play a few instruments. He wasn't very good at first, but he was always original. He spent all of his time studying all of his favorite singers and song writers. He always felt there must be some formula to success and was determined to find it."

Callie laughed loudly.

"That sounds like Marie."

"How is that like me?"

"You always study too!"

"Maybe you should try it. At least once…"

Their grandfather smiled heartily.

"Your uncle Peter was no half-hearted fella. He took his dreams seriously. If he said he'd do it, he'd do it. After some time, he realized, he wouldn't be a celebrity of the caliber that he aimed for here in Calamari County, and so he made the decision to move out to the city and find an agent."

Marie was shocked.

"All the way out to Inkopolis. He wasn't scared?"

Callie chimed in.

"Uncle Peter was so cool!"

Their grandfather sat up proudly.

"He might have been a little afraid, but he sure didn't show it. This was too important to let a little thing like fear stop him. But he was good boy and he wrote back to the family every day. He wrote about all the amazing things he saw and the people he met, and ESPECIALLY all the auditions he failed."

Marie looked uncomfortable.

"He failed?"

"More times than I can count. The laughs he got could fill a joke hall. But he kept trying because to him, success was just a matter of time. And he was right. After years of refining his talent, he got the contract he always wanted."

Callie grabbed her cousin's arm.

"Uncle Peter was amazing, right Marie?"

Marie put a finger to her lip.

"But grandpa, who's that woman then?"

Callie picked up a loose poster of the two leaning together.

"She's our Auntie Joyce, right?"

Their grandfather took off his cap and rubbed his head nervously.

"Well, you see... I was just getting to that. That woman wasn't your auntie. She was more like your uncle's musical partner."

Callie tapped at her poster.

"But look at all the hearts. They're in love, see?"

Their grandfather had a solemn expression on his face.

"Well girls, his contract came with certain conditions. Your Uncle Peter worked very hard and had become very talented as a result, but he was still just a no-name street singer. The record company would only accept him if he worked with an up-and-coming singer they had already signed. She was very pretty and had a vibrant personality, but didn't have much of a voice. He had no obligation to actually form a romantic relationship with her, but they wanted to sell the two as a couple, since that was the popular thing at the time."

Callie had a look of disillusionment.

"So they weren't in love?"

"No, but they wrote many love songs together. Singing was your Uncle Peter's dream, and so he accepted their terms and the group Peter and Joyce was formed."

"But he didn't have to pretend to like her. Success was just a matter of time, right?"

Marie sighed.

"Callie, life's not that easy. Sometimes you have to be realistic and make compromises. Right, grandpa?"

Their grandfather's eyes were downcast.

"Well, at the time, he didn't think it was smart to let the opportunity pass, and after a few years, maybe he had gotten a little anxious to get his foot in the door. He didn't think there'd be any consequences, so he just went along with it. His career was too important to him to worry about anything else."

The story had taken an unexpected turn. Callie didn't know how the respond. The silence was becoming awkward.

Their grandfather put up a positive front.

"Anyway, you girls have fun. I know, you two must be thirsty. I'll get fix us some cool drinks. I'll be right back."

After he left, Callie and Marie continued to poke around through the merchandise. The kooky stuff seemed a little less fun after knowing the story behind them, but they still found ways to entertain themselves. They played a few songs on an old CD-player and made a contest to see who could find the most bizarre object. Marie was confident in her bottle of Peter and Joyce fire sauce, but she felt that Callie topped her with a Peter and Joyce branded bikini. As usual, the two got a bit overly competitive, and searched frantically for their next item. Marie began to perspire as Callie fished out something making a clucking noise. Marie pushed a box out of the way to try to reach one further in the back and accidently caused a few things to tumble over around her.

Callie came to her aid.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. Hey, wait. What's this?"

Marie pulled a sweater out of the way and picked up a small tape. It looked homemade. Definitely not studio quality. There was a piece of tape over it that said, "Norma's song". The tape had a stress mark down the middle, like someone tried to snap it in half, but stopped.

Callie cocked her head.

"Who's Norma, Marie?"

"I dunno. Do you think Uncle Peter made this?"

"Hmm. Let's find out! There's a tape player in the radio."

Callie popped the tape in and pressed play. A second later, the tape stopped itself. The two sat mystified for a moment before figuring out the problem. They let the tape rewind for a few minutes in utter silence before trying again.

They played the tape for real this time, and it began with a very peaceful but happy melody. It was very different from the highly refined and upbeat songs they had heard just before. It was messy and Peter was singing off-key sometimes. He'd lose his breath or stop to clear his throat occasionally, but it was still pleasant.

He sang to a woman named Norma, using her name multiple times, and describing many of her features like her short hair, gray eyes, and clumsy smile. The song was very cute and obviously very personal. He wasn't trying to balance his singing with another person, he was just letting his feelings pour.

Both girls naturally shut their eyes as they listened.

Callie commented aloud.

"It's so romantic."

Marie mused.

"It makes me think, "This is an adult's love.""

Around the time the song ended, the girls noticed their grandfather standing in the doorway. He put a platter of drinks down on a table.

"So you two found that too, huh?"

Callie scrambled up and grabbed a drink, while Marie addressed her grandfather.

"It's a good song, but it's really different from the others. Did Uncle Peter write it before he was famous?"

"It's the opposite actually. It's the last song he ever recorded."

"Then how come Joyce isn't in it?"

"That's because he was finally being honest."

The old man pulled out a seat for himself.

"Your uncle wrote that song because he did something he wasn't supposed to."

Callie looked up curiously from her beverage.

"What's that?"

"He fell madly in love."

Callie and Marie flushed red.

Their grandfather stretched his back and took a drink.

"Yes, and unfortunately for Peter, that love wasn't Joyce and for the first time it wasn't his career. Norma was nice, normal girl. I only met her once, but it was very clear that Peter was serious about her. But of course, due to his... situation, he had no choice but to keep his relationship a secret. Plus, his work kept him very busy and so he hardly had time for her. And so, he came up with a plan to redeem himself. He wrote this song for Norma and planned to surprise her with it once it was published. He was so absorbed in his love that he never stopped to consider that there was no chance the record company would ever publish it."

Callie looked up sadly.

"Wasn't there anything he could do? Like compromise?"

"He could have. He had that option. The studio told him that if he rewrote the song for Joyce, they'd allow him to release it. But this song came from his heart. Peter couldn't bear the thought of changing it, and he refused. The song never saw the light of day."

"But…that's so sad."

Marie agreed. It wasn't really his best song, but it felt so genuine, unlike the other songs. It was a shame that no one heard it.

Their grandfather was beginning to look visibly depressed.

"Peter faced a very challenging decision that day. This song was his plan to bring himself closer to Norma, but it failed. He had to decide if he was going to quit right then and devote himself to Norma more than he possibly could as a celebrity, or if he would keep following his dream and believe that somehow they'd make it work. Sadly, he chose the latter."

Callie hopped onto her grandfather's lap.

"But Norma didn't leave him, right? He wrote that pretty song for her and everything."

"Since the song would never be published, he planned to sing the song for Norma in person. But it was several weeks before he could find the time, and by then, Norma left him."

Callie's eyes began to well up with tears. Even Marie was finding it hard to keep her eyes dry.

Their grandfather pulled the girls in close and placed their faces against his chest, as he soothed them.

"The two simply grew apart. Norma moved on and had a family of her own. Peter tried to continue his career, but found himself in a slump for a long time. He was far from home and Joyce certainly didn't give him the support he needed. It was the most alone he ever felt. The whole family was planning to go out and see him, but…well…Peter was coming home instead."

The old man rubbed at his own eyes as he seemed to be enduring a painful memory.

"Peter was feeling strange lately, and a doctor told him that he was very ill. Peter decided it was best to come home and be with the people who loved him. He quit his job and I think he was remembering what it meant to be happy again. And then came the day when he came to me as a man and told me that he realized what was really important."

Marie was rubbing a sobbing Callie on the back.

"What happened to him?"

"It was just shortly after the two of you were born. It didn't matter how tired he felt, he was absolutely adamant in seeing the both of you when you stepped into the world. And he was just as proud as if you were both his very own. And he came to me one day and said, "Dad, these girls are miracles. I think I was put on this planet to make the world a special place for them. Making the people you love know they're loved might be the most important thing there is." I think you girls gave him a purpose again."

Callie uncovered her face and smiled.

Her grandfather brushed the hair from her face.

"And do you know what he did next?"

Callie sniffled.

"What grandpa?"

"He started writing you a song."

Marie climbed up on her grandfather's lap alongside Callie.

"But I thought Norma's song was last one he made."

Her grandfather tapped her lightly on her nose.

"It was the last song he recorded, but not the last one he wrote. That song was meant to represent a new beginning for himself, and to show that someone always cared about you, but he never finished it. He might have been able to complete it if he wasn't spending as much time as possible fawning over the both of you. His highest hopes for you two were that would never feel alone and always know that you were loved."

The girls slid off his lap as he stood up.

"Your uncle would have given anything to be here for you today, but he'd be very glad to know that you two have each other. What you two have is very special, and I hope you'll continue to take care of one another."

Callie and Marie faced each other. Callie smiled wide and Marie smirked back.

Their grandfather fanned at himself with his hand.

"Whew. The heat is getting to this old man. I'll see you girls inside. I'm gonna go lie down."

The two girls felt that they had spent enough time in this dusty old shed, and so they decided to go for a walk.

The sun was beginning to set, but it was still warm out. Marie commented about their uncle.

"It's kinda sad that we'll never really get to know him, don't you think?"

Callie nodded instead of answering aloud. She twiddled her thumbs as they walked.

"Hey, Marie."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we'll always be together?"

"It's not like we'll ever stop being cousins."

"I mean, do you think we'll ever be…alone?"

"Umm…it's gonna happen sometime. It kinda has to."

Callie produced a large frown and her eyes got watery. But Marie was quick to react.

"But it'll only be for a little while. I'll find you again right away."

"Hehe, good."

They were quiet for a bit as they basked in the warm summer evening. Suddenly Callie raced ahead and turned to face Marie.

"Oh, yeah! Did you hear about that thing?"

"Which thing, Callie?"

"Oh, right. The singing contest."

"The one in the city?"

"Yeah, that one. We should enter!"

"What? Why should we do that? We don't belong there."

"Because it might be fun!"

"We probably won't be very good, but I can try if you really want to."

"Great! We'll be the Amazing Callie and Marie."

"What are we, magicians?"

"Then, how about the Squid Cousins!"

"That sounds awful."

"We'll work on it together."

"Yeah."


End file.
